Friday, February 27, 2009

Besides my list for this weekend, I also was able to pick up some Manager's Specials, including a couple of packages of Creme Savers, a package of mushrooms and a tub of rice pudding. I also picked up a half-gallon of pulpy Kroger OJ (and I'm impressed with the taste) and cottage cheese.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

On Sunday night, after my trip to BigLots, I went to four Rite Aids to try to find SoyJoys for their deal. My car was about ready to die, so I didn't feel comfortable going out at a separate time from going to Big Lots. I was disgruntled when I went to the first Rite Aid and found these. But when I went to the other three Rite Aids in the area, the nutritional bar area was completely emptied of SoyJoys.

Instead of just trying to go to Rite Aids locally, I decided on a different tact -- I was scheduled to get my new car from my hometown (very rural Michigan) later in the week, so I decided to check out a Rite Aid there.

Jackpot!

So, I used five BOGO coupons from 2/22 and 1/4 SS. Rite Aid's SCR this week is $5, so it'll be a $2.50 MM.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

I'm a little skittish about doing RRs at Walgreens because I'm afraid they won't print for whatever reason. However, since I had two Internet printable Qs for Theraflu, making it a moneymaker, I decided to use my extra Gillette Gamer Q to do this:

Sunday, February 22, 2009

One of the financial goals I had intended on making for 2009, but didn't was to set up what Dave Ramsey calls a "love drawer." This is where you set up your important papers in one place so when you die or are incapacitated, someone can easily figure out what's going on with your life. Of course, if your up to your neck in debt, you might not want anyone to know that. The thing is, the designated person will figure it out, anyway.

I had decided late last year on a Honeywell safe with the ability to have hanging folders. I even went to Walmart shortly before Mom died with a Christmas gift card to see if I could snag one. Well, no, I couldn't. I spent the gift card on other stuff.

I went in to Big Lots this evening after reading this blogpost of the 20% off printable coupon for "Friends and Family" from 5-9 Sunday, Feb. 22. I came in with my coupon and started to look for 11 x 14 frames, but didn't find any that appealed to me. Then, as I walked toward the grocery area, I saw it -- a display of Honeywell safes. I went back, got a cart and put it in.

This safe at Walmart.com is $50.00. It was listed at Big Lots for $40. With 20% off, it was $32! Yippee!

I also got a calculator, a large bag if Bear Naked Granola for $6 (if you go on the website, they no longer carry the 32 oz bag, but their 12 oz bag is $4. Hmmm

I also got some Zatarain's Ready to Serve rice. I'm single, and I don't see these around anywhere at grocery stores. In any case,they were $1.04 after discount. They didn't have any more of my favorite Caribbean Rice, but these will do.

Just to keep things simple, I also picked up some cans of canned chicken to mix in with the rice. Rite Aid has a sale this week on Sue's, which I like better, but I only had one coupon, so I got the rest here.

I had seen a post on a coupon forum about getting the Renuzit Triscents Starter Kit free, so I was hoping to score at CVS with that. Those weren't included in the inserts (and only the refills in the stores), so I moped around seeing if I could salvage a good $5/25 coupon.

I perked up when I found the Valentine's candy for 75 percent off. Yippee! Then I was able to salvage the trip.

I got my free Suave coupon that was offered online on Jan. 14 in the mail earlier this week and I printed Internet Printable $1/1 coupons, so I went back to CVS to do the Suave deal again (well, the card didn't catch it the first time, so according to them it's the first time).

Some interesting things about this trip:

1) The cashier took $3 off the order2) Since that happened, I didn't use the $2 ECB from the last transaction3) I ended up with more OOP, but also more ECB4) The store I went to earlier this week had them priced at $2. Today they were $1.99.

= $0.97 OOP + $2 ECB that printed out on their own without cajoling the manager ...

Next week, the plan is to just get the razor and I found some 25-count cotton rounds at the store downtown. Yippee!

Also, last night I stopped by Meijer to get 10 Dannon yogurts on sale for $4.00. I had a $1/10 coupon from 1/4 SS left (expires 2/28), so I took advantage. This time, I even got vanilla yogurt (which I like) instead of coffee (I thought the picture of the bean on the carton was vanilla, not coffee), which I don't like so much. I'm having car trouble and Walmart is further away, so I didn't drive there.

Monday, February 16, 2009

I went looking for a place to use my $5/25, but no dice. However, I did do this.

Transaction 1 (store 1)

2 Neutrogena facial bars $2.99 each1 Snickers candy hearts .25

- $6 ECB= .23 OOP

Actually, I could have used the $5.98 ECB I used last night for the Colgate and ended up with 0 OOP. So, if you're a newbie and have no ECBs, you could do just the Colgate deal (with Q, but without the candy in my post ...), get $5.98 ECB, then buy the Neutrogena bars, have 0 OOP and $10 ECB!

So you would have two tubes of toothpaste and two Neutrogena bars for $3.98 OOP and $10 ECB!

BTW, at the store, the Ultimate Strength Mint Mylantas are still $7.49 ...

Transaction 2 (store 2)

They had the Neutrogena bars at this store, too. If I hadn't gotten it at the other store, I could have gotten used the $5/25 CRT. C'est la vie.

They had no Ultimate Strength Mylanta, or 25-count cotton rounds, or J&J bandages. They did have Gillette razors, though, so I did this ...

The Suave ECBs didn't print out. Evidently there is a problem with them printing out on the Body Washes. If you're intending on doing this, make sure you have the flyer with you when you check out so you can show them. Then they can push through the ECBs manually.

When I said this to the cashier (older lady), she almost acted she didn't know what an ECB was. When I pointed it out to her, she said, "Oh, you got $4 ECBs here."

That was for the razor, I said. She left for a minute, came back and asked, "Where does it show in the ad for the razors?" I showed her.

At this point, I was really glad I did the Neutrogena deal at the other store. Finally she called the Assistant Manager. After a few minutes, he came out, then pushed through the ECBs.

Before this transaction, I had $30 ECBs. $30! I'm single with no kids or SO (my manly stuff is getting donated). I'm not going to die for burning a few ECBs. Plus, I got some stuff I wanted/needed (I like Suave body wash ... so sue me).

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I was able to pick up two more Mylanta Ultimate Strength at $3.75. On Sunday while at Rite Aid, I picked up some $2 off Sally Hansen hair remover tearpad Q. I had seen some lotion hair remover on clearance at CVS.

I was able to find six bottles (two were discussed in a previous post) of Olay Botanical Body Washes at WAGs. The ones in my area that were marked $1.39 were all gone. However, I found a WAGs that had them tagged at $3.59, but scanned at $1.39. I didn't take them all, but I ran out of Olay Q!

Two were from the 1/18 P&G inserts and two were from the 2/8 inserts I bought with my regular Sunday paper purchase. However, I went for a walk Sunday and found a couple of places with newspapers piled up in the driveway, so I was able to grab a couple more.

The chocolate, I got by combining the ESC in WAGs this month ($6 off two) with the $1 "gift" (Man Q) that are in blinkies everywhere. In order to avoid beeps, I grabbed a carmel near checkout.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

I did some CVS scoping this week to see who had what in stock. In my area, the CVSes and WAGs are about two miles apart (literally, you just drive down the road), is it's not incredibly time consuming.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Below is a list of my financial goals for 2009 and how I've done so far:

1. Finish sinking fund for replacement computer. DONE Jan 09

2. Dive into sinking fund for replacement car (Goal is $6,000). Next step -- I'm depositing $32 from rebate money into the bank tonight. 3. Getting through Mom's final illness and death without incurring debt. DONE Mom died in January. There are a few things that I'm cashflowing, but that will work out by mid-February.

4. Read one investing book per quarter. For January, as you can imagine, not possible. But this is a great reminder for next weekend to go to the library.

5. Get more acclimated with CVS' ECB program (which has totally intimidated me up to this point). Have started, ongoing.

6. Keep track of how much money I save via couponing, rebates, sales, ECB/RRs, etc. I set this up and have put on Google docs for personal ease in updating.Info on how I did in January here.

7. Enjoy living my first full calendar year debt free since 1994, and having a 3-month emegerency fund for the first time. EVER. AHHH! 8. As funds allow, boosting EF to 6 months. Not yet. 9. Once EF is 6 months (currently 3), restart putting money in IRA. Not yet.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

I live in Michigan, so I'm one of the "lucky" to have the test ad this week. My intention going into CVS this morning was to check out the CRT machine to see if it would give me any goodies. Yes! A $5/$25. I already had one, but it expires 2/8 ... not much time use it for great dealies before it expires.

But since it gave me a $5/$25 and $1 CVS lotion, I decided to give it the old college try. In my arsenal was the Try Me Free MIR for Vitamin Shampoo. It prices at $6.99 and I didn't have a coupon for it, so I decided to just see what I could do ...

I found the two Earinses and the chewable aspirins that are part of the monthly ECB promotion. In test ad land, that's a girl's only option. I grabbed another 3 oz CVS lotion (the trial ones are for 99 cents in the trial area) and I was good to go.